In the operation of machines of all kinds, but in particularly construction machines, it has been common to include one or more switch assemblies into the grasping portion of the levers used to control the machine and its many implements. In doing so, accommodation must be made to accept various types of switches as well as the relative motion that may exist between the grasping portion of the lever and the actuator of the switch. In many situations, the opening in the grasping portion through which the switch actuator must extend must be larger than the body of the actuator to accommodate for this motion. Many times this opening or a cavity is large enough to allow a substantial amount of debris and foreign matter to gain access to an interior portion of the control lever. In many situations, the switch is intended to actuate an electronic mechanism. The foreign matter that has been allowed access to the interior of the control lever has been known to accumulate on the electronic switch components and interfere with performance of the control mechanism.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.